Rating: 
Summary: Not Enough Recongition for Chaplin Classic
Review: Here is Chaplin at his directorial best. In this film, he takes on the role of director, writer, performer, and composer. When the "talkies" first appeared on the scene in the late '20s, Chaplin was hesitant about giving his Tramp a voice. However, he knew he had to jump at the opportunity of capitalizing on his character's physical similarities to Hitler (for both critical and financial reasons). The diversity of this single film is its greatest accomplishment: social commentary, dramatic undertones, and comic situations. Even the comic situations are diverse with the classic silent slapstick that made Chaplin famous, as well as the use of sound for verbal irony and a perfectly casted loud-mouth Mussolini-like character. And the last speech will leave you in chills. Certainly a must have.
Rating:
Summary: Momentous, one-of-a-kind, inspired brilliance
Review: Here, Charlie Chaplin accomplishes the impossible, by juxtaposing comedy next to horrible tragedy, and having it all work because his positive motivation and wit package the critically important messages in a way that effectively sent the point home to many millions of viewers worldwide. His intent was to favorably alter the course of world history in a very dark era, and he may, indeed, have done it to a degree. The 50-minute explanatory narration covering the historical context of this work is a great asset to the set. It sells at a premium and, if you are a serious film and/or history fan, pay it to get this set. Buy it, also, to appreciate the damage done by the McCarthyist era in this country, which was so bad that Chaplain had to return to his native England.
Rating:
Summary: Chaplin's Classic
Review: i dont usually write reviews, but i was browsing through and saw that "The Great Dictator" had 5 stars on the overall review, so i felt obligated to keep it up with the 5 stars it deserves.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding effort in cinema
Review: I first saw this film about 10 years ago (when I was about 9) and thought it was quite funny, but as you would expect, I didn't appreciate the historical aspects of the film. Watching it now, I think I now realise how sophisticted it is as a satire, making it remarkable to think that it was made 60 years ago. For a contemporary piece with regards to its subject matter, it has stood the test of time most admirably, and it cements Charles Chaplin's reputation a true cinematic genius. The Great Dictator will make you laugh as well as think, and the film itself is wonderfully complemented by the special features.
Rating:
Summary: Charles Chaplin: " A True Genius"
Review: I have rented several several DVDs and own a few, and never have felt the need to write a review. This is a very special film. I rented this DVD and my wife and I liked it so muich that were are purchasing a copy for our library. I have a son who is almost 11 years old and he was roaring with laughter! He only knows who Adolph Hitler was, and has no idea who the other characters are that are being lampooned. As he grows older and realizes who they are, he will appreciate this film even more. The Chapter X speech is all inspiring, and is as relevant today as it was in 1940. It is as good as any speech that I have ever heard. Jerry Lewis once replied, when an interviewer compared him with Charlie Chaplin, "There will never be another Charlie Chaplin."
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST EVER
Review: I LOVE this movie. He is so funny, but it's sad in other ways. Charles Chaplin, in a talkie, plays the Great Dictator, Hitler. He has another role as a barber who at the end pretends to be Hitler to ave himself and another man. Hiler and him look exactly alike so he plays two different roles. It is really funny with co- star Paulette Goddard to make it even funnier. All in all this movie is one of the BEST movies I have ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Just get it and watch it
Review: I will not comment on Chaplin's politics, private life or the use of lighting and shadows or any artsy stuff like that. I will just say that if you watch this movie, you will be entertained and and you will be educated about all the small issues you missed learning about WWII in school. I cannot turn this movie. You will be haunted by some of the things you see, not in the way "Schildler's List" haunts, but in a more gentle and refective way. You will get a sense of how it must have been to live in the times of the war. I feel that this movie would be a good one to be shown in the schools.
Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: I've seen few movies made before 1960 and fewer silent movies (just Haaxan, Nosferatu (because Shadow of the Vampire and the Herzog remake) and Man With the Movie Camera (because of the recent Cinematic Orchestra soundtrack). Suffice to say, outside of Kurosawa, Ozu, Welles, Hitchcock, and Lean, I havn't greatly enjoyed many of the older movies, The Great Dictator, being one of the few. It's also my first Charles Chaplin movie, mostly because my great fear of the silent picture (which is a bit odd, considering many of my favourite movies have minimal dialogue)- I figured that I'd start with a talkie and work my way back.Although it drags a bit (maybe should have cut 20 minutes or so) I found numerous humorous moments in the movie (especially the Hitler parody with the beach-ball globe and duck hunting). There's a serious from-the-heart speach at the end, one that's very much out of character (or in character, depending on how you look at it), and, although it lends gravitas to the parodies beforehand, I think it would have been much more appropriate (and scathing to all political nonsense) if it had been done in character. Anyways, The Great Dictator is a fun movie, that serves as a good introduction to Chaplin (at least, I'm eagre to see more, especially Monsieur Verdoux and Modern Times). The DVD has some nice goodies too, so it's worth a purchase if you want to build up a library, but I can't see myself wanting to watch this again for a long while.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: In an ingenious twist, the lowliest man rises to the greatest pinnacle in a satirical comedy/drama portraying the triumph of the human spirit. Great movie, but I'm waiting to see it on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Chaplin is an actor for all time!
Review: Many of todays movie will not even be remember (less even viewed) come 60 years from now. That is why this movie in question , i.e., The Great Dictator VHS, truly deserves the stamp of being a classic. In Chaplins first Talkie he shows brilliance in the art of acting that has only been matched by a handfull of actors, Heston, Douglas, Brando to name a few. The satire is biting and he does not spare the Tomania even an inch; the insanely incoherent speeches by Hynkel are a riot and when Hynkel starts to sound like a beast it is even better. A funny sequence is when he dictates a letter and goes on tirade in Tomanian and all she writes is a couple of lines, then when he says one more she writes for several paragraphs. His English translator is also amusing. However, the speech at the end is truly the work of a master; he steps out of character and pleas for the sanity of mankind and for the soldier to lay down their arms and to love their fellow man. Highly Recommended.
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